


Killjoys Never Die

by Stellala13



Series: Danger Days [1]
Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), My Chemical Romance
Genre: Also that the boys were in a band, Bi Mikey, Bisexual Character, But that said band was not super successful, Demisexual Character, Frank/Gerard will be mentioned as a thing, Gen, Most of the world is devoid of wild plant life, Nuclear war caused major damage, Original Character(s), Uhm, Warning: Strong Language, Yay for lots of song references, and it's all mostly run by BLI, it goes off the working theory that 2012 saw a nuclear war (sort of), like lots of swears and stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-22 23:23:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2525513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellala13/pseuds/Stellala13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Just a fic idea that came to me after watching the Sing music video from MCR. I wrote this a while back and had it taken off another website, so its more permanent home was dA. Also the rating could fluctuate. As could the potential for relationships/use of relationships.)<br/>Well, what would happen if the Fabulous Killjoys survived with severe injuries? How would they go on? What sort of relationships can survive in a post-apocalyptic world?<br/>There will be explosions and gunfights and serious discussions of lots of government mind control stuff. And swearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heaven Help Us

**Author's Note:**

> So this is omniscient-third-person POV, and I sorta switch between knowing what Gerard is thinking and what my other main character for this story (Emma) is thinking. It is pretty limited POV still. Also there is some convoluted backstory in Emma's chapters.  
> This chapter is Gerard's POV.

As Gerard lay there, wondering how it had all gone wrong, he drifted. In and out of consciousness - in and out, back and forth, conscious and unconscious, aware and not aware. There were moments of lucidity during which he could feel the cold, hard floor under his back, remembered the exact moment when he’d been shot, or hearing Korse give the order to his Scarecrows to give chase to “them.” There was a lot of black, and although he tried, he could not manage to lift his head, or even open his eyes, because any action felt as though it would kill him. He even struggled to breathe, and had to give it great thought in order to succeed.  
When he wasn’t thinking of breathing, he was busy struggling to come to terms with his death, which he had realized was virtually inevitable. There was an extreme unlikelihood that he would live beyond this day, and he was trying his best to resolve with that. It was hard to admit it, but he was avoiding it too, so as to milk every living moment, every single breath, for all that it could be worth to a dying man. He thought of how he had yet to be moved, or how Korse had not verified his death. He wondered if Frank, Mikey and Ray had gotten away safely with the Girl (Grace). He thought of how strange it was he was still lying there. And he breathed slowly in and out, savoring it and wondering what it would be like when he finally stopped breathing, when his heart was no longer beating. Would he join his parents in some afterlife, or would it all just go black and be done with? He wondered too which would be better - living beyond death, or just dying and never inhabiting the world again.  
The cold seeped into his back, and he wondered, detached, how long he might wait before being dispatched. Would he die from lying prone for hours, or because Korse would come back and discover his failing? Either fate would end the same, but one would be slightly more glorious. He felt as though, if he waited long enough, he might be forced to kill himself. He wondered how much strength he would have to gather to be successful. He found himself calculating how long he might wait before he lost his mind and killed himself, and how much willpower he would need to be successful in such a cowardly endeavor.  
And then he heard voices, after a large amount of time had passed. At least, he believed it was a large amount of time, although he could not be sure. Listening intently, he tried to decipher what they were saying, but his brain wouldn’t cooperate. He decided after some time that one of the voices was distinctly male, and guessed that his life was close to its end. Never would he have been able to guess at what transpired next.  
He heard a female voice, near him. Low to the ground. Wondered briefly what female it could be. Any he knew was unlikely, but...Suddenly, he could feel everything. He was no longer numb in his extremities, and it didn’t feel as though he was being pressed flat between a huge block of lead and the floor. He felt his arms, his legs...Everything. And as his eyelids fluttered, he felt the ashes damp against his face and the small, scattered pieces of flesh against his skin. He hoped like hell that wasn’t his friends’ flesh, even as he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, and he took a few moments to allow himself to adjust to the sudden change from black to light. As his eyes focused, although not completely, he found that he was looking up at a person who, when his eyes opened, smiled. An instant later, he became acutely aware of the pain from Korse having shot him. The feeling of the ray gun blast left him recalling that, right now, he could have been dead. He should have been dead, in fact. And yet, whoever this strange, blurry person in front of him was, had spared him. He really hoped that she wasn’t saving him only to enslave him instead. He knew that if that was the case, he would kill himself. He would rather die by his own hand than suffer under Korse’s rule.  
He noticed the weak sunlight, and realized it was already morning. This was followed by the recognition of a gentle, morning breeze, and something that felt quite a lot like dew spread evenly over his skin. He felt sticky and disgusting, like how he’d felt after sleeping outdoors the entire night as a teenager. And many nights since, but usually it was only his face. Usually, when he slept outdoors an entire night, he had a blanket, and some warning. And he recognized too that he had hardly slept...Then the girl he couldn’t quite see caught his eye. She murmured something he couldn’t quite understand, and he felt a hand, gentle on his arm for a brief moment, before she rose and moved out of his line of sight. He closed his eyes, and felt a great amount of peace before drifting out of consciousness.


	2. This is How I Disappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is another character introduced, much less delirium is involved, and then there is more delirium/near death musings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My OC Emma's POV until the cut indicated.

Emma walked into the remains of the building slowly and stealthily, recalling that she could still be attacked. Draculoids, she knew, rarely left a place completely unmanned, even if it had been partially destroyed by a bunch of “punk Killjoy kids joyriding on the false refrain of freedom from a neutral entity of government.” So she approached this mission with a great deal of caution. Her ray gun was loaded, and she was ready at any moment for the attack of a Drac. She recognized all the signs of a Killjoy raid...but she didn’t exactly understand why.  
There had been no prior announcement, the “eyes in the sky” hadn’t even remotely mentioned any such event. She’d been in the radio room when Dr. D had detected a minor explosion, hours ago. He hadn’t announced it, recalling discretion...He’d sent her though. She was young, stupid, and although she’d been trained by the best, she’d never been this close to Battery City. Not in her lifetime. That she could remember.  
She hated recalling all the times the Doctor had told her she’d lived there. As a kid, smaller than “the Girl.” She’d grown up there. When she’d been found in the Zones by Doctor D at fifteen,she hadn’t remembered a thing, but he’d supposedly found identification from Battery City. An ID that had labeled her as a native. She hated that. But she hated more that all she could ever remember was black, until she’d woken up with Dr. D standing over her talking. She hadn’t understood a word for days, because she simply wasn’t capable of that level of brainpower at that point. Too much trauma early on had been his diagnosis.  
So he’d adopted her. And she hadn’t left the radio tower since she’d entered it, except for fresh air. And even then, she was more likely to stay inside, open a window and read a book. She didn’t like outside, because that was where it had happened. And because her hardest memories were the three years after he’d found her. From fifteen until eighteen, she had been kept entirely outside. Until she’d built up resistance to the atmosphere in the Zones, which he’d later told her was why most City natives died quickly in the Zones. Air purification, amongst other things. Also, he’d taught her outdoor living for three years, and every time she begged to not stay outside, if only for one night, he told her she was a coward, and her pride told her to deal. But she’d learned, and learned fast after she’d started talking, and understanding again. He’d constantly had to remind her that pride was not a measure of strength. Pride could get you killed, and had been how he’d ended with a limp, and sometimes wheelchair. So he’d constantly reminded her not to be unafraid because of her pride, but to be able to ignore it because she needed to survive. They wanted any rebellious people dead.  
But he’d also encouraged her to stay inside and study as much as she could. He’d taught her a ton, and even let her help him on the radio station. Never announcing, because she was his secret daughter and he was the only person in the world he knew, or wanted to to know that she existed. But running technical works. And teaching her about BLI, Battery City, Dracs, strategy in this tiresome game, and the resistance movement in the Zones. Which was why they were stationed dead center, Zone 3. Because then they could reach Zone 1 to Zone 6, even the rebels undercover in the City. The perfect spot. Their strategy was as informers. They gave radio transmissions based in Killjoy slang, which gave hints and helpful info about raids, vandalism, and other rebel actions. And yet...This raid, if that was what it was, had been unannounced. Dr. D hadn’t even known about it until he’d detected the explosion. Detonation of a classic, homemade bomb - a definite Killjoy trademark. And he’d sent her.  
She knew how to drive, and he knew she could drive long distance. She had a huge amount of endurance and tolerance that he had built up himself. So he knew. Maybe that was why her first time being sent outside was to investigate. By now, though...It had been all night. What was left, she figured, would have been cleared by the Dracs. Any bodies not recovered by curious Killjoys passing by, if there were bodies, would have been claimed by the Dracs and Korse. Hostages, same deal. They would not be here by now, if she’d learned anything from Dr. D. And he’d taught her a lot. So why he’d sent her on a 9 hour drive (if they didn’t want to draw attention, that is...) to investigate homemade bomb’s detonation in an old warehouse turned armory and information headquarters was a mystery to her. Besides, it being an armory meant there were going to be accidental detonations. It didn’t mean anything, she’d thought.  
But now, here she was. The whole front of the building had been destroyed. She’d pulled up in the old Karmann Ghia that Dr. D had given her to drive her in, and she could clearly see the building, even at the distance she’d parked. She looked at the front that had been totally destroyed in the explosion from a safe distance away, and as the weak morning sunlight - the signal of the beginning of the day - streamed through the trees in the area, she recognized a sense of safety in the area. The fact that there were trees was a rarity out here, and she smiled slightly before remembering why she was here. She sighed, grabbed her ray gun holster and strapped it on before stepping out of the car. As she approached, she didn’t hear any animals. Birds were not chirping, no squirrels chattering. The area was deathly silent.  
This fact, more than anything, put her guard up. It should not have been this silent in such a place, even after such a detonation. She knew this from Dr. D’s many lectures on telltale signs of Killjoy raids and BLI activity in the Zones. So, as she approached a road nearby that led up to the building, she swallowed at the sight, and pulled her ray gun out of its holster. The front of the building had been destroyed, and as she eyed it suspiciously, she saw the sunlight weakly streaming out of the surrounding trees and hitting the broken front of the place, turning it into something prettier. And then her eyes caught, fascinated by the sight of another car that was not BLI standard issue. She swallowed at the sight of the Trans Am and as she approached cautiously, she wondered what it was doing there in that shape - why hadn’t it been impounded by BLI and disappeared by now? And then she saw the man sprawled across the hood.  
\-----------------------------------------------------Gerard POV-----------------------------------------------------------  
When Gerard next woke up, he immediately felt himself wondering about his friends. He hoped they had gotten safely away from here with the Girl, even if he’d had to get seriously hurt to ensure their safety. He kept his eyes closed, and before long found himself recalling Korse’s voice, and the order he had given - to give chase at all costs (that they couldn’t let “That Girl” get away) and leave the dead to their own destruction. Korse had deployed all of the Dracs and he himself had even left to give chase. Gee knew this, and with this realization, he recognized their undoing if he were rescued and recovered from all of this. He smiled, and hoped that girl, whoever she’d been, was here to save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a story I wrote a while back and I'm fairly fond of it, but I'm much further along. Once again, if you're interested in listening to the accompanying playlist, Youtube is your friend. Also, this story is on deviantArt and slowly being updated as well.


	3. Dead!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emma figures out how many bodies there are, meets Fun Ghoul, speaks to him, and figures out that Party Poison is not dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet more of Emma's POV for this chapter.

As Emma crept closer to the car, she felt even more wary. The fact that there was a person here may very well have meant Dracs, if she was not far wrong. Still, he looked wounded, and as she stepped over to him, she recognized only that he was breathing. She blinked, and saw the signs of a ray gun blast to the chest. How had he survived that? she wondered curiously. As she surveyed him, she wondered. He looked familiar, for reasons she could not place. The curly afro of hair, the tall, lanky build...it was too familiar to be comfortable, especially as she recalled that there was only one way she could have recognized him. She swallowed nervously, and then decided to do something if she came back and he was still breathing. And she didn’t find anyone else inside.  
Inside, still careful in case of Dracs, she saw quite a sight. Three more men, also laying in the broken, scattered, destroyed foyer. The first was laying right inside the door, also breathing, and looked closest to consciousness. He was burned all over, and she could see burns of varying degrees of healing all over him through a number of tears in his clothes, which were primarily green in color. She knelt to look him over, and as she rolled him onto his back, he startled and woke up. Blinking ash and various other debris out of his eyes, he looked up at her, even as she suddenly felt a very strong sense of recognition.  
After another moment of staring, he slowly asked, rasping a bit, “Who...?” She swallowed, and smiled slightly. Ignoring the question, she focused on, “How badly are you hurt?” He considered her for a moment, before he grimaced. “Can you stand -” she stopped herself short, and rephrased the question: “Can you sit up?” He thought about it a moment, before nodding slightly and rasping “I think so.”  
She slowly and carefully helped him sit up, supporting his weight so that he didn’t expend all of his energy. And then she murmured “What happened?” He didn’t reply though, intent upon the ray gun she was still holding. “Why?” he asked her.  
“Dracs. I was worried they might be around. Do you know...?”  
He seemed to think about it before saying “I was asleep for a while after I got hit...”  
She blinked. It had been a raid then. She swallowed, and asked “Who’re your friends?”  
“Gee, and Mikey.” The names rang a bell, although Em couldn’t have said why.  
“Okay. Can you stay here for now?” she asked him. “I know the floor’s disgusting, but if they’re okay, I can get you guys back to safety.” She knew it was a huge promise, larger than she’d meant to make, and she wondered how she would follow through.  
“I think they’re dead.” He told her.  
“Well, I should check to be sure. Stay here?” she repeated.  
“Doesn’t seem I have a choice,” he murmured, closing his eyes as he leaned against her shoulder. She smiled wistfully and lowered him back to the floor.  
Next, she rose and swiftly moved through the scattered debris. It had happened early enough for the dew to have set over the area and stick a ton of stuff to their skin, she noted as she knelt next over a blond lying on his side as well. He wore a red leather jacket and black jeans, and she felt as though he was familiar already. She swallowed, and rolled him onto his back.  
He was breathing, but not likely to wake up, and she decided to leave him sleeping, so as to ensure a better recovery. He had a few burns, and had clearly been shot by a Drac, like his comrade. Then she rose to approach the last one.  
This man was a redhead, and he’d probably been up against a wall, and in a sitting position earlier. She could tell by the way he was lying, right up against the wall, and in a partially curled up position, almost fetal. She smiled at the comparison, and noted the sticky dew had set on him too. She also noticed he was breathing, and as she checked his pulse, she recognized that he was quite warm, almost feverish. She swallowed in worry. And brought out of the pocket in her leather jacket a syringe with a single shot of adrenaline. Enough to wake up anyone, according to the Doc, who had apparently done as much to her when he’d first found her. He’d told her to always carry one, and have more in the car just in case. But now was the first time she’d have to use it. She swallowed again, and carefully shot him up with the adrenaline. After disposing of the syringe, she leaned in and rolled him onto his back. He uncurled, and after another moment, he shifted and his eyes opened. She leaned into what would have been his line of sight, and found him watching her.  
She felt a brief breeze pass through the foyer, and she swallowed yet again. Nervous at how familiar the man looked, she took another moment. He probably couldn’t see her clearly, if his expression was any indication. She pressed what was meant as a comforting hand to him arm, and then she paused. Another moment passed. And then she decided what to do. “I’ll be back,” she murmured, even if he probably couldn’t understand her. And then she rose and went to go get the first man. He was half conscious still, and as she carefully and silently helped him to his feet, he asked “Who are you?” his voice was seriously injured, and she hoped that he’d still be able to talk in a little while. She smiled curiously at the question, and as she half carried the man that somehow managed to be taller than her, while still quite short, she wondered how to answer him. After a moment, it occurred to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, and yes, this story moves slowly. Trust me, I know.  
> Don't worry though, I have plenty more chapters written. I just have to get around to posting them.


	4. Headfirst for Halos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Em introduces herself to Fun Ghoul and drives a badass car, convinces him to help his friends trust her, then helps the friends to the car and gets into bondage (only kidding.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still Em until the cut. I feel like that is going to be primarily what I make notes for in this story.

“I guess I’m just a girl. A person, once, used to call me Angel, but I don’t prefer that anymore.” As she heard herself say it, she recognized the name. It had been hers once, hadn’t it? Dr. D had told her that she’d had another name, but she’d always asked to be Emma. Always. So maybe that had been her name in Battery City, and she was now remembering it? Strange idea, but the name felt familiar to her all of a sudden.  
“Angel?” he seemed to be struggling with something, but what, she couldn’t be sure.  
“So who are you?” she replied, and made sure to keep him from looking over at the man on the hood of the Trans Am.  
“I -” he started coughing, and recovered after a bit. She kept walking, and just as they got to her car, he said, “I go by Fun Ghoul nowadays.”  
“Hm. And your friends?”  
“Party Poison and the Kobra Kid. There was Jet Star as well, but I think he got away.”  
She paused, as she carefully helped him into the car. As he sat there, looking at her, she decided it was best to be, at least partially, honest. “Uhm, does Jet Star have an afro and six feet of ground?”  
He blinked, and after a moment looked very, very sad. “He didn’t get away, did he?”  
Em frowned. “No. I don’t think so. But...What were you guys doing out here to begin with?”  
He shook his head. “I can’t - can’t tell you.” He choked and his eyes began to water. She swallowed, and offered him a bit of water. “Okay, look,” she said. He looked up at her. “What?” he asked.  
“I am going to go back and get them, because they’re all alive. Injured, burned, generally hurt...But alive. I am going to get them, and you have to stay right here. Okay?”  
“I don’t think I’d very likely be able to go very far, even if I wanted to.”  
With those parting words, she headed back to the building. It didn’t take her long to realize where she had missed a major element. Regardless of the fact that she was a pretty strong girl (Em could lift and carry twice her weight for around a mile) she was also a very short girl. She always had been, as far as she knew, and she certainly was now. She was shorter than Fun Ghoul, who appeared to be the smallest of the men. Em was pretty sure none of them weighed twice her weight - a great blessing - but the remaining three were also about a foot taller than her if she’d had to guess. That was the problem. She would be dealing with three top-heavy guys, and because she was short she couldn’t support the top very well, so to speak.  
So Em may well have ended up staying there all night had she not realized the easiest, smartest answer. Since she knew there were no Dracs in the immediate vicinity, she could just take the car up to the building, if only temporarily. She smiled and headed back.  
“I thought you were getting them,” he said, eyeing her suspiciously. Em smiled.  
“I’m short. Probably can’t carry all three of them all the way out here when they probably all have roughly six feet, and I barely make five.”  
“So?” he asked.  
“So, I am going to drive over and get them. And you might have to help me convince them I’m not going to hurt them.”  
“How can I convince them of that,” he asked as she helped him move to the passenger side so she could drive, “when I myself am not sure of it?”  
“Okay, how do you propose I prove I won’t hurt you all?”  
“Uhm...How’d you find out about the raid, and who sent you,and maybe who YOU are. Those are three great questions you’ve yet to answer that may make the difference for me.”  
Em considered those questions. It was a serious thing, to answer such personal, identifying questions. Worse so when, technically, you didn’t exist. If BLI ever captured him, they could torture and question him, potentially, to find the radio HQ, Dr. D, even her. That would be so bad...  
But she had no other real option, so as they started slowly driving through the area toward the building, Em answered his questions as honestly as she could. “You know the ‘eyes in the sky?’” she started.  
“Of course I do. Dr. D is what keeps all of us from getting killed, especially further out in the Zones where our deaths would go virtually unnoticed.”  
“Exactly. I was sent by him, and the eyes in the sky that he has are how I knew about the raid - or, rather, the aftermath of it.”  
“Okay. But you still haven’t answered the important one.”  
“I know,” she replied. “But it’s difficult. How about if I tell you I don’t exist?”  
“Like, how do you not exist?”  
“Like...I died only I didn’t actually die. I was disposed of, I don’t remember it, and I cannot tell you much beyond that.”  
“And that you used to go by Angel. What’s your name now, then?” He was definitely used to the exchange of names, whether real or fake. So how did she tell him...without telling him?  
“Officially? I can’t tell you. I do go by Agent Aftermath.” Also not a lie. It was the Killjoy name Dr. D had told her to give out if she ever happened into a situation involving people. It was a safe name, after all. Not technically her own, but it was all good. For now.  
A few moments later, the car stopped out in front and she gestured to the Trans Am. “He’s over there.”  
“Do you have any ideas about what happened to the Dracs?” he asked her curiously. “I mean, they never leave a place totally vulnerable, especially one like this.”  
She frowned as she climbed out of the car. Right before closing the door, she shook her head and explained, “No idea. I got here a bit late...”  
And with that comment, Em headed over to retrieve Jet Star. He seemed to be recovering, so after a moment of waiting, she did her best to help him wake up. His eyes opened, and after a glazed over moment, he sharpened and focused on her. “Who...?” he began. His voice was severely damaged from the sound of it, and that was probably because of where he’d been shot, if nothing else.  
“Just a guardian Angel, I suppose. Do you think you can walk a little bit?” He grimaced and after a moment nodded. A tough man, indeed. She carefully helped him up. “Look, I am not going to be able to support your top half as well as I should, so please bear with me.” she smiled apologetically. It took a moment, and then he replied with “S’okay.”  
She nodded, and they began a slow process to the car. Fun Ghoul leaned back and opened the door for her, and she helped Jet Star into the Karmann. It took a moment, after which she told them, “Wait here. I should be back in a few.”  
“Yeah, because he’s going to run a mile, right kid?” Fun Ghoul said with a grin. She rolled her eyes and headed back, this time going a bit further.  
The blond turned out to be Kobra Kid, and after a small exchange when she, yet again, identified herself as an Angel, before half-carrying him out of the ruined building into the early morning light. She helped him onto the car, where Jet Star had fallen asleep again, and Fun Ghoul was looking really fierce just in case there were any Dracs that showed up. Em recalled the Drac situation, and as she headed back into the building, she checked her ray gun. Loaded and ready to go in an instant.  
\-----------------------------------------------------Gerard--------------------------------------------------------------  
He awoke again to find her there again. This time, though, he could clearly see her face. He wondered briefly why she looked so familiar, but he couldn’t have said why for sure. Something he’d done, perhaps...? Regardless, she opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he formed a coherent word. Sentence, even.  
“Who....are... you?” She blinked in real surprise. And then he heard her say, and actually comprehended the words, “I’m just a guardian Angel, here to help out.”  
“What...?” he couldn’t finish this sentence, but she seemed to understand. “I’m going to get you out of here and, hopefully, healed. Okay?”  
“S...sure,” he stuttered out and his voice shook. She carefully helped him to sit up, and once that was done, she asked him, “So. How likely is it I can help you walk, at least a little bit? It’s not far, but I can’t support you as well as Fun Ghoul because of your height...”  
He paused, and carefully thought it over. He was sore in numerous places, and his brain felt sluggish and slow. But could he walk for a few steps? It was probably not a great idea, but if it got him away from here and even back to normal, he was fairly sure a few steps could be managed. “Sure. Not too far.” He felt genuinely disgusted by how weak his voice came out. He frowned, but couldn’t dwell on it for long when a second later he found himself being helped to his feet by a girl quite a bit shorter than him - maybe even shorter than Frank. That made him wonder, especially at how strong she seemed. He was not by any means a light man, but here she was, hauling him to his feet as though he weighed little more than a sack of potatoes.  
She helped him a ways away. Out of the building, the front of which had been completely destroyed (probably by a bomb, he thought tiredly) and down the steps that were crumbling. He was fairly glad she was supporting him, but he was also aware it was mostly him that was doing the work because of her height.  
A moment later, she was helping him into a pretty small, and old, car. He saw Mikey and Ray (both asleep), and when he looked up to the passenger seat, Frank. To say he was surprised is an understatement. Stunned. He was stunned to discover that they hadn’t gotten safely away. And this led him to wonder if that meant Grace had been recaptured by Korse, or if she had somehow gotten away.  
And then he saw a bandana descend over his eyes and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promise there's a method to my madness. I swear there is.


	5. My Way Home is Through You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emma blindfolds the Killjoys, speeds mightily, muses on philosophical things, and reminds them that she could just as easily leave them to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma's POV entirely.

A moment after she covered Party Poison’s eyes with a bandanna, he began to lift his hands to the cloth. She caught one wrist, then the other, and then he opened his mouth and asked simply, “Why?” A single word, and the first unslurred one to escape his lips in her presence thus far.  
“Let me explain this, okay? I am going to take you all to the place I live,” she noticed the other three were watching her and listening, Jet Star and Kobra Kid having woken up at the sound of Party Poison’s voice. She directed the rest of her words at all of them. “For me to be able to do that, I must be completely sure you four could never disclose the location, even by accident.”  
“Why?” Fun Ghoul asked.  
“Because I live in the same place that Dr. D is located, and I need to make sure he and I are safe from BLI ever finding us.”  
“But we wouldn’t tell. I can promise we wouldn’t.” Fun Ghoul said. She shook her head.  
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that I know what BLI can do, and I know that, whether you intended it or not, you could accidentally tell them under enough duress. Thus, I can’t take the chance they’d ever find the place I live. It’s even risky for you all to know what my face looks like, because I’m not supposed to exist.”  
“So what, you expect us to let you blindfold us and hog tie us like a bunch of captives?” Jet Star asked. “You’re supposed to be helping us.”  
“I am helping you.” She paused, hesitating. “You’d rather be still lying there, prone to the elements? Look, you’d have died in a few hours, I’m positive of that. If we keep this up, you will anyway. It took me most of the night to get here, and I can assure you that you might well die if you don’t agree to this. You’re wasting time. And I promise. As long as you agree to let me do what I have to, I won’t tie up your hands - I’ll just blindfold you. I know it’s not even remotely appealing, but it’s better than being dead, so can we agree on this?”  
There was a long pause as they each considered, and finally, Fun Ghoul agreed. “Fine, I’ll let you blindfold me. As long as I can still use my hands.”  
“Okay. After I do it though, you can’t take it off until I tell you to, promise?” He promised. She blindfolded him, and then looked at Jet Star and Kobra Kid, watching her suspiciously. Finally, they agreed and promised they wouldn’t take off the blindfolds. She blindfolded each of them, and then had Party Poison promise the same - to not remove the blindfold.  
Once promises were made and she felt confident that they wouldn’t untie the blindfolds and watch the journey, she closed the car doors, and walked around to the driver’s side. Climbing in, she turned the engine over, tied on her bandana over her nose and soon was on her way. Speeding was the only way she was sure she would get there soon enough to actually keep them all from dying, and so as she got their speed up over 90 mph, she wondered how long this could take. Before, she’d been going under the speed limit, so as to not raise any suspicion if there were Dracs monitoring the area. And she’d been in no hurry, figuring all that would be there would be a bunch of debris and maybe a couple Dracs. Now, she was less worried about getting caught and more worried about getting safe, with the four men.  
These guys may very well have been important, and if she didn’t save them, she wouldn’t know. Besides, Dr. D had sent her for a reason, and she figured he would have wanted her to save people if she found them. So here she was, speeding her way towards their hideout in Zone 3. When she finally passed into Zone 2, she began to breathe easier. There were less Dracs further out in the Zones, and she was further from Battery City. Being that close to BC had been tough for her, and she hated knowing that was her weakness.  
Battery City. To most, it was a place they didn’t like, although it was very close to a Utopian society. The closest the human race had come so far, Dr. D told her often. Maybe that was the unease. Knowing the “Utopia” was a cleverly manufactured illusion that she’d been a part of. Or was it not knowing how she’d gotten out of the illusion, and under such a traumatic circumstance?  
Well, regardless of why, the unease was there, and it had to do with BLI and Battery City. She hated to admit a weakness so general and unhelpful. But there it was. She swallowed and decided to focus on something helpful. Like all of the first aid techniques she knew. None of which could have helped these guys much, but might have been able to prolong their survival if she was slower than she planned. She glanced at the speedometer a moment later, and it read 99 mph. Shit.  
She smiled, thankful that there weren’t any Drac patrols out, and before long they passed into Zone 3. She released a breath, on a sigh of relief, and a second later, Fun Ghoul asked simply, “What happened?”  
“Hm?” She blinked, frowned, and then replied, “Oh nothing.”  
“Where are we? We almost there?”  
“Mhm...” She smiled as she thought of what Dr. D would say at her find. Would he be happy, or pissed off because she’d brought them back? The number one thing she could remember him teaching her was that she always had to be thinking of number one - herself. Even if he were dying, if there were Dracs or exterminators, or BLI was on their trail, she had to forget about him and protect herself. And him, if it were a case of other Killjoys over “family.”  
“If I’d wanted to die, would you have left me there?” Fun Ghoul asked seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. That should be a good opening amount for the time being. I'll go off and write some more, and leave you all here with this.  
> In all seriousness, leave me stuff and tell me what you think. Every little thing makes me smile and gives Castiel new and colorful wings. It can also help improve my writing, and hey, who doesn't want that?


	6. Cemetery Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emma explains her reasoning, vaguely pisses off the Killjoys, and brings Dr. D gifts. Also, Gerard's delirious, dehydrated, and curious.

She flinched slightly, realizing she’d sort of been thinking aloud. Recognizing that he’d asked a question, she considered what to say. “Depends.” She replied evenly, even as she hit the one road that branched off of the main, that led directly to the radio tower.

“On what, pray tell?” she heard in a disgusted tone of voice from Party.

She frowned. “On how serious he seemed about dying. That’s always the gamble, see. If they really want to die that badly, there’s no reason left to save them. It’s a pointless endeavor, because BLI will have succeeded in their mission, with one more person under their indirect influence. In that case, I’d rather they die than have to go on living while knowing of that one moment of serious weakness. On the other hand, they shouldn’t die if the case is ‘Save yourself and let me die.’ I’ll only do that if self preservation or death are the only two options.”

“Not die for the sake of another person, who matters to you? Like, say, your parents?” Fun Ghoul asked in a whisper that carried to her despite the lack of volume. She sighed.

“No. Not even for that. Because, first, I don’t have parents. And, second, because the one thing I have learned in my time running is that, out here in the desert, the number one way to win against BLI is stay alive. The longer you stay alive, the more fruitless their mission to eradicate resistance becomes. They’ll give up, and then we’ll take over. So living, even at the expense of those closest to me, is the best way to honor any of those people’s memories. Simply by living, and therefore continuing my resistance.” She finally pulled up to the cozy radio tower. And smiled as she saw Dr. D outside, watching for someone or something. She climbed out of the car, and Dr. D came over and caught her in a quick hug before pulling back and saying, “What, then, did my girl bring for me?”

“Killjoys that need to be patched up considerably. And taken inside so I can take off the blindfolds,” she replied with good enough humor to have him smiling briefly.

“Alright, I’ll send out Show Pony and Adrenaline D to bring ‘em inside, and we’ll fix ‘em right up. And then figure out what the fuck they’re doing out here, raiding BLI again.”

“Okay. Fine by me. Where’d they come from, anyway?”

“He got here about midnight, Girl in tow. You run into any trouble?”

“Nope. Do I look like I did?”

“Ah, no. But you always were good at hiding things.”

“Show Pony and Adrenaline Dirtbag know about me now, then?”

“Not directly. They’re out back at the moment, and I’d sort of like to keep it that way. Go get some sleep, babe, since you were up all freaking night and then some.” She smiled and headed inside. He watched her go, and then turned to the car, stepped over, and looked inside. The sight that greeted him was surprising. The four Killjoys who’d always labeled their tiny group “The Fabulous Killjoys,” and had done the most damage over the years since 2012 were in the back. He frowned, and wondered if Em had recognized them. Wondered if they’d seen, or recognized her. That could be bad if either occurred, after how hard he’d worked to be sure...

\------------------------------------------------------Gerard-------------------------------------------------------------

Gerard woke with a start, as though he’d fallen. Wrenched forcefully from his sleep, he swallowed and opened his eyes to find himself looking up at a dark, patterned ceiling in some unknown room. He felt assured that he wasn’t in BLI’s clutches simply by the amount of color that saturated the room. He noticed he was lying flat on his back, and there was something underneath him that sagged under his weight.

The next note that permeated his weary mind was that his throat was terribly dry and sore, as though he’d been swallowing sawdust and glass. He wondered where he was, and had no recollection of what he’d done to be feeling so totally numb. He couldn’t feel anything below his neck, and he didn’t know whether this might be good or bad. Needless to say, anything that had occurred while he was in his near-death state was completely beyond his capacity to remember, primarily because of the blinding physical pain that had incapacitated him. So, with little else to do, he closed his eyes and was soon drifting back to sleep.

*****Later*****

An astoundingly loud bang assaulted Gerard’s ears, awakening him with an involuntary jolt immediately.

Once again, he was incapable of feeling anything aside from the dull ache of his dry throat and sore eyes, and certainly unable to sit up or investigate the bang. But now, he wished desperately that he was capable of moving. Even just sitting up on one arm...God, he hated having no control over his body and -

His thoughts were scattered completely as he was wrenched - none too gently - into a sitting position by some as yet unseen person. A moment later, a number of pillows were placed behind him to help him stay sitting up. And a second later, something was being pressed to his lips and he heard a gruff voice telling him, “C’mon son, drink something. It’s been at least 3 days since you’ve had anything proper to drink, you’re likely to die without it. C’mon, trust me. It’s just water, son. I couldn’t poison you if I wanted to.”

Gerard finally managed to part his lips that felt (now that he thought of it) very dry and cracked, and a second later, a small amount of water poured through his parted lips to his dry throat, and he struggled to swallow it. God, it was delicious. A second later, something wild possessed him to grab the water container and chug every last drop. He struggled to move his hands, only to find no response from them. And then the other man chuckled. “Son, if you tried to chug this glass of water, you’d vomit it back up. You’ve been without for probably slightly more than 72 hours. Your system will deny it in large quantities right now, trust me.” And he was being offered another small sip of water a second later, the glass against his lips being rather cool and soothing.

“Where...am...I..?” Gerard asked slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all are enjoying this story. I'm working on making it interesting, and sort of spacing the chapters. I've got a lot more written than what's here, but I'm sorta taking my time with posting so that I can go back and edit thoroughly before posting each chapter. Tell me what you think guys! :)


	7. House of Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn very little, and Gee is confused. And Yes, that's a cover-up. Don't worry. It'll work itself out.

The man laughed. “In a place with no name. You’re safe here, and BLI won’t be coming after you, I don’t think. If they do, they won’t be finding you here.” Gerard furrowed his brow curiously and asked his next question after much thought.

“How did I get...here?” The man leaned into Gerard’s line of vision and he saw a grungy, kind of dirty-looking man, a bit older than Gerard himself. He was peering into Gerard’s eyes as though looking for something, and made Gerard feel as though the man was able to see right through him.

“You really don’t remember?”

“...No.” Gee said in confusion. “...Should I?”

The man considered this a moment. “Probably better you didn’t. Anyway... I’m Dr. Death-Defying, and you ended up here because I sent Show Pony and Adrenaline D - Dirtbag, that is - to go investigate the explosion at the abandoned armaments factory in Zone 1. Turns out it wasn’t abandoned, exactly...although you already knew that, huh.?”

“..Yeah.” Gee said. There was a long moment of silence before Gee admitted, “Are either of them men?”

“Who?” Dr. D asked, confused.

“Show Pony and Adrenaline D. Are they both men?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with this, but yes. They are.”

“...You’re lying to me.”

Dr. D was astounded. “What reason would I have to lie to you?”

Gee frowned. “I don’t know. But I know you are. I remember there being a girl. One person, and it was a girl...and she seemed familiar. But I couldn’t place her. And..” He stopped, looking up at Dr. D. He honestly hadn’t a clue where this was coming from..

“You were found unconscious, Party. I think you dreamt this girl, hallucinated that entire scenario.”

Gerard had been so sure in his convictions, but now he had his doubts. Had she really been there? Was that touch on his arm, that soft, tender voice actually real? Or was it simply a product of his subconscious? A hallucination, created by his mind to make him feel better? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t know whether he could trust Dr. D, but...You never trust anyone 100% until they’ve proven they’re worth it, he reminded himself.

“Party, I think you need some more rest to -”

Gee cut him off with his next question. “Why can’t I move?”

“I was getting there. You might consider looking for some patience, seeing as you’ll be stuck on this couch for a while.”

“Why will I be stuck here?”

“Look, kid. You were shot at point blank range. By all rights, you should be dead because whoever shot you - “

“Korse.”

“What?”

“Korse shot me.”

“Oh. Well anyway. There’s no way he could’ve missed, so it makes no medical sense that you’re still alive because ray guns at point blank are deadly, unless they’re basically not working. As it is, your nerves took a serious shock. I’m fairly sure your heart stopped working, for a few minutes at least. Your lungs definitely did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do i even begin to apologize for leaving this story untouched for so long? Honestly the worst thing is the part where I've had this chapter written, I just failed to touch it at all, never mind posting it. All in all, it's been a weird year and writing's fallen by the wayside a bit. I apologize, and although I can't make promises to improve, I will certainly try.  
> At the very least, I'll do my best to put out the already-written chapters (although finding my old plans will be a challenge if I wanna continue this..) Stay tuned. And thanks for reading. (:


	8. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Doctor D explains some things, while leaving other things thoroughly unexplained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues to be Gerard's point of view right now. Anyways, enjoy!

“Can you feel anything below your neck, kid? Anything at all?” Gerard considered, then shook his head. Dr. D continued, “Exactly. You can’t feel anything because your central nervous system stopped working. I gave you some meds, I was feeding you intravenously for a couple days. I don’t think that most of your bodily functions are gonna work for a little while yet. I mean, your circulatory system and respiratory systems were failing when you got here, so I had to seriously stabilize you quickly, or you’d have been dead.  
“Kid, you’re lucky to be alive, but sleep seems to be the only way for you to recover right now. So it’s probably your best shot right now. Resting. And a whole lot of it. And I’ll answer all of the questions you have, more or less, once you’ve recovered completely. So get some sleep, and don’t worry so much. You’re in good hands.”  
“Are you actually a doctor?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Oh..” Gerard paused to consider, then asked his next question after a moment of thought. “So...Did you find my friends? There were 3 of them, and I saw them hurt in my hallucination..Are they safe, or...?”  
Doctor D rolled his eyes. “Fun Ghoul took a shot near his neck as well, and the burns on the side of his face and neck, as well as his shoulder are healing really well. Other than that, he wasn’t harmed, as the majority of the shot, which was probably on high power, actually missed him almost entirely. There are also some less serious but more frequent burns on his torso, due to lower power direct shots from a distance. His voice was pretty damaged from the headshot and dehydration, and that’s the thing that is taking a while to heal.  
“Jet Star is almost entirely healed. He sustained several low level burns to his torso, and there was a mid-level shot that toppled him, which hit him dead center of his chest. Thanks to his breastbone, and the fact that he’s got some meat on his bones, that shot didn’t stop his heart, but it did a bit of damage to his lungs. The good news is that he’s walking around under his own power already, and he’s almost to the point where he doesn’t need to sleep with an oxygen tank.  
“And Kobra Kid was shot in the side with a high level blast. He was having trouble breathing, especially when asleep. He’s doing better, but your kid brother still isn’t completely well-off. He’s talking with some difficulty. They’re all worried about you, by the way. And Party, I suppose you’d be pleased to know that they aren’t telling us anything.”  
Gerard considered that a moment, then nodded. “ I suppose I am.”  
Dr D nodded. “Alright. Well now, you need some sleep.”  
“Can I see them first?”  
“No. Next time you wake up.”  
“But -”  
“I promise you’ll get to see them Party..But right now, you need your rest so that you’re healthy enough to leave, hopefully soon.”  
And with that, Dr D left Gerard to sleep. Gerard lay there considering, before shrugging inwardly and closing his eyes. Might as well sleep, he told himself, seeing as there’s nothing else you can do.  
A bit later, he drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with a fiery haired Angel in leather and denim..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, let me apologize for my extended absence to anyone out there in the Void who may actually be reading this eventually. I have no good excuse for most of it, except the last 3 months, when I was planning getting married and then actually doing it. The rest of my long absence is nothing more than laziness with my writing, for which I apologize immensely. Especially because these next few chapters are all fairly short and quick, due to the pacing in my writing for this part of the story. At the very least, I'm glad to report it picks up a little.


	9. Disenchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which insomnia is the most irritating thing Emma's had to deal with this week. Not, you know, being a hallucination or anything (even though that shit is hard work too.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small, filler chapter. Wrote a couple of them, mainly because I hit stopping points/writing blocks. Also, Emma's POV this chapter, just for the record.

Emma rolled over in bed, staring at the clock by her bed. She’d tried to sleep, really she had. But she’d only caught an hour or two at the most at one time since getting back. Something in the back of her mind, something small, was nagging at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling.  
At first, it hadn’t been obvious to her what it was that bothered her so much. But now, after much thinking it over on her own, in her abundant free time, she’d realized. The problem she had was the killjoys she’d picked up. They were wounded, though recovering quickly according to the Doctor. And the ones that were recovering quickly (all but the redheaded Party Poison) weren’t telling anybody anything about why they’d been out there.  
The Doctor had told her to put them out of her mind. They weren’t a threat and besides, it wasn’t like they really remembered her. Doc had already explained he’d convinced them that she was a hallucination and it had been Show Pony and Adrenaline D that picked them up out at the armory. They seemed to believe it he’d said. She had already said she wasn’t bothered by it. She’d told Doc she wasn’t bothered, and hadn’t exactly mentioned the nagging at the back of her mind, seeming to scream “Remember already Em!!!”  
But she was bothered. Not by the idea that they remembered her, the killjoys. That wasn’t her concern. It was more just that she...wanted to understand why they were familiar. Because they were, and it bothered her. She hadn’t had contact with anyone but Dr. D since being picked up and becoming Emma, until this mission. So the only way she could’ve recognized them was something to do with her “past life.” And that scared her.  
She couldn’t remember why they were familiar, but that was the only explanation that made sense, and it scared her to think they were from her past life. Because she couldn’t remember it, solely because of its traumatic nature. And yes, to some extent her worry also lay in being remembered by them..  
“Fuck.” she swore aloud, glaring at her bedside clock a moment. Frustrated at her lack of ability at getting any sleep, she got out of bed and began to pace. It was about midnight, so no one was likely awake. Even Dr D slept, even if he generally was woken several times throughout the night for live reports and such on breaking news like recently dusted motorbabies and crash-queens’ sudden raids.  
She thought of going downstairs, but that could easily incur more problems than it was worth. First of all, because the hideout was so much more populated than she was used to, and she didn’t know those people’s sleeping schedules really. Second of all, because she didn’t exist and that could lead to problems, if seen.  
But still, if she could just go downstairs and make tea to help her sleep, maybe a snack of beans and toast...That might help considerably. Em had always been an insomniac, after all and she certainly knew how to help herself sleep anyway. But she couldn’t go through her normal routines and rituals for successfully sleeping because she might be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, my apologies for the absence. Hopefully, adding a few chapters now will somewhat redeem me, if anyone's actually reading this anymore, that is.


	10. Look Alive, Sunshine!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insomnia may just be the worst thing that ever happened to Em.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still Emma's point of view, of course.

“God damn it,” she murmured, wishing for the umpteenth time things weren’t so complicated for her. She’d like to just go downstairs and have a piece of toast and some tea anytime she’d like, regardless of the killjoys they were harboring. But no, of course she couldn’t because she didn’t exist to anyone but her and Dr D and no one else was allowed to know for fear BLI would come after her again for real.  
God, sometimes, she couldn’t stand all this post-apocalyptic bullshit. Sometimes, all she wanted was to just be aimlessly lost like all those BLI drones that were called people and believed they had free will, but were closer to being goldfish. Their entire world was the tiny fish bowl and they never looked beyond it thinking there could be an entire ocean somewhere. Mostly, at times like this, she wished she were one of BLI’s goldfish. But she never had the opportunity to be, because of reasons she never knew, or never understood, or just plain never remembered.  
All it ever seemed to be was utter bullshit to preserve her life.  
Maybe Dr D wasn’t willing to give her credit. But if she could survive out in the desert 3 years only to build up an immunity to little food and water, and the shitty air, then she could damn well fight BLI to protect her own life, could she not?!?  
It was such unfair bullshit though!  
Sighing, she sank back down onto her bed and stared at the clock. 12:15 am. Maybe everyone was asleep. It was pretty late at night for a bunch of killjoys resting off injuries. She swallowed, considering the time seriously. It wasn’t that late and besides. One cup of tea couldn’t hurt anything. She’d be in and out in no time at all. No one would see her. They were almost definitely all asleep.  
She smiled, nodding to herself. Yes, this could work.  
A few moments later, she found herself creeping down the stairs quietly. She reached the base of the stairs and cautiously let out the breath she’d been holding. She couldn’t hear any stirring from the living room, and that made things slightly easier, as well as considerably soothing her nerves. She slowly crept toward the kitchen now, as though she were back in the ruins of the armory factory, and a Drac might jump out at her at any moment. Except here, she felt more secure.  
Getting into the dark kitchen, Em carefully moved across the space to the cabinets by the microwave, pulling out a mug and filling it with water. She placed it in the microwave, heating the water as she found herself some tea. Just as she stopped the microwave before it could ring (and likely wake half the hideout’s residents), the kitchen light was turned on.


	11. I Never Told You What I Do For A Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Em is caught red-handed making a snack, and Fun Ghoul just wants some damn answers from a hallucination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues in Emma's POV for now.

“So you weren’t just a hallucination.” She heard the sense of finality in Fun Ghoul’s (mostly healed) voice, and swallowed again. “I knew..somehow, I just fucking knew that you were real, you weren’t just in my mind. You’re one thing I couldn’t have made up.”  
She closed her eyes, cursing herself her own stupidity. “Well?” he asked, and she heard him take a step closer to her. “Aren’t you going to say anything? Bitch that I found out? Complain that I’m right? Ask me not to tell anyone?” When she remained frozen, he sighed. “Nothing? Well damn.”  
She turned cautiously to stare at him. After a moment of silence she spoke. “Okay, so you were right. But now, what are you going to do about it?”  
He shrugged. “Didn’t think that far ahead. I guess I’ll just tell the guys that Dr D lied to us and you’re real. We thought we were crazy.. It freaked us out, especially Kobra.”  
Em considered him for a moment, and then asked, “So you'll just openly spread one of my only secrets out of, what? Spite? And without even trying to better understand why that secret exists?”  
“Darling, I don’t give fuck who you are or why you’re here. We’re in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world in which you have to be able to count on the people on the same side to be your allies, and be honest with you. We don’t have time for a bunch of fucking lies and deception, just because it suits you.” Fun Ghoul replied readily.  
Em frowned, but replied after only a second. “Yes, but we’re in a world where you can’t truly trust anyone because you never know who’s on your side, or when they might not be anymore. Your best friend could be kidnapped, interrogated, tortured, and brainwashed by BLI, and if they get information from your friend, you’re liable to be dead pretty quickly, or in the same boat. I’m not saying lying is the right idea, because it’s really not. That can have much worse effects in this environment than most people would account for. But I will say that everything that has been done thus far concerning me has been done to protect you, as well as me.”  
Fun Ghoul scoffed at that. “I really doubt that I need protecting from anything to do with _you _.” She could practically hear the eye-roll in his voice.__  
Em sighed at his attitude. “Okay. So what if I tell you that BLI genuinely has me recorded as dead? That if they know I am alive when everything they have says I’m dead, they’ll come after me, constantly? Everyone around me would easily and quickly be killed protecting a dead woman. And they would do much worse things to me than just killing me.”  
“Every killjoy is considered dead by BLI. That’s why we adopt names that aren’t our own and we burn our fingerprints and keep our masks on even if we’re dusted. So I still don’t see why you’re so special.”  
This was even more frustrating because she didn’t know why she was either. But she continued to explain it the way it had been explained to her. “But none of you are actually documented as dead. They void your fingerprints, they mark your file with your killjoy name, then try to find you and turn you into goldfish or drones, or just kill you. I _am _documented as dead, and they’re the ones who supposedly killed me. My entire family was apparently living in BC before it was BC, and they were marked for Desolation Row anyway. The apocalypse killed the rest of my family, according to what I was told. And BLI came after me a year after the apocalypse, sent field agents. I apparently escaped into the desert, and since they knew I’d become adjusted to air purification, they left me for dead thanks to radiation in the air out here and so on. So they marked me as a literally dead file.”__  
“Why was your family marked for Desolation Row?” Frank asked.  
“I don’t know.”  
“Then why did you survive the apocalypse when they didn’t?”  
“I don’t know.” She informed him, becoming annoyed.  
“But... why didn’t you get put through Desolation Row once BLI cleaned things up?”  
“I. Don’t. Know.” she repeated again, this time through gritted teeth.  
“Okay. But then why did they come after you after a year?”  
“I don’t _know!" _She was clearly exasperated now and he paused.__  
“Don’t be so touchy. I need to know this stuff... One more thing.”  
“What?”  
“Why didn’t they come after you? That’s really just not BLI’s style - Wait, let me guess. You don’t know?”  
“Uh uh.” Em glared at him now.  
“Well then I suppose you can tell me what happened a little bit better. Because that shit has a ton of holes in it and will only make sense if you explain it better.”  
“I can’t.”  
He was surprised. “Don’t go getting all guarded on me now, damn!”  
“I’m not.”  
“Then why won’t you tell me?”  
“Because.”  
“Because...?”  
“I don’t...I don’t have any memories about anything prior to the day Dr D found me and saved my life.”  
“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for the time being. Here's hoping I can keep at it, post maybe 2 chapters a month, or so. I really need to get all caught up, and get back in the groove of writing. Plus honestly, I do really love this story and cannot wait to see where the characters take me next.


	12. Vampires Will Never Hurt You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Frank is a dick, repeatedly, and Gerard can feel things again.

What felt like a short time later, Gee was woken by another bang, a lot quieter than the first. He frowned as he opened his eyes in curiosity. He realized suddenly he could feel things below his neck...not as pleasant as he’d hoped. And then he actually looked up. There, right in front of him was none other than Frank, standing over him and looking down curiously.  
“Frankie?” Gee asked, somewhat slurred.  
“Don’t.” Frank said. “Remember, I don’t use that name anymore.” He leaned down then, gently helping Gee sit up. Gee nodded once Frank had propped him up on pillows. “How’re you feeling, Party?” he asked.  
“I’m..I’m doing better. Sore as a mofo now, but it’ll pass I think.”  
“I know. You’re a seriously tough dude. Guess Korse didn’t bank on that.”  
“No kidding. Sounds like you’re fine, by the way.”  
“I’m alright. My voice is back to normal, but I’ve been waking up with chest pain and shit, and have trouble sitting or laying down. Mostly not a big deal.” A moment later, he lowered his voice. “Gee, listen. I need to talk to you. And now is the only time I can. Dr D doesn’t know I’m in here, and he can’t know.”  
Quietly, Gee cut him off. “Frankie, what’s going on?”  
“So much is going on, Gee. I don’t even know half of it.”  
“What time is it?” Gerard asked.  
“Late. Really effing late. But that’s beside the point. There are things I have to tell you.”  
“Okay. What do you need to tell me, Frankie?” Gerard asked, slightly frustrated.  
“Shhh. Not so loud.” Frank whispered.  
“Sorry.”  
“It’s fine. Anyway. Gee...What did Dr. D tell you?”  
Gerard frowned. “He told me he’s actually a doctor...uhm. And that we were rescued by these guys...And I don’t really remember anything else.”  
“Sure you don’t. But anyway, Gee, here’s what the Doc told the rest of us. We were out in the zones on that raid, and we got ambushed, which we told him. I swear we didn’t tell him anything else..”  
“Good. And..?”  
“And we got shot. We should all be dead...except the bombs or whatever BLI used to make it look like we blew up that factory for real, the explosion was picked up by Dr. D, who says he deployed Adrenaline D and Show Pony to help us out. Except, listen Gee. He lied.”  
Gerard shook his head. “Why would he lie? There’s no point.”  
“Yes there is.” Frank said. “What do you remember, about us being picked up?”  
“Nothing. I just remember a lot of fog and drifting, and unconsciousness.”  
“Now you’re lying, Gee.”  
“It...” Gerard paused, lowered his voice and said, cautiously, “I hallucinated a redhead came to save us. She called herself Angel, a guardian angel. She blindfolded us and drove us back here. But I hallucinated her, Frank. I think I was just remembering - I hallucinated is all.” He stopped, and Frankie cut into his train of thought.  
“But you didn’t. Dr D lied about her. To protect her. She’s his adoptive daughter who’s dead, but not, and it’s a really long swiss cheese-y story, but -” Frank was suddenly cut off by raid sirens. He knew that sound, “Shit.” he breathed. “Party, can you walk, do you think? With a little help?”  
“Yeah, most likely, I can.” Gerard was already struggling to stand up.  
“I’m gonna go get the guys into the car. It’s right outside, and - shit. Do you think you can make it that far on your own?”  
“Definitely, Fun Ghoul. Just..stay alive, yeah?”  
“Yeah. Fuck.” Frank swore as he headed out of the room, and Gerard dragged himself upright with some difficulty.  
“Now what?” Gee muttered, as he heaved himself toward the door.  
\---------------------------------------------------Emma-------------------------------------------------------  
When Emma was woken to someone shaking her the following night, she was disoriented. But it didn’t take long for things to make sense - only about as long as it took her to realize that she was hearing raid sirens. She knew that sound, and the instinctual fear kicked in, before she could knock it down. She sat up, pulling on her shirt and buttoning her pants back up.  
“Good. You’re awake.” she heard Fun Ghoul say in the darkness, and she nodded. She pushed back the anxiety at that sound of sirens, and instead focused on getting armed.  
“Is Doc awake yet?” she asked. Fun Ghoul shook his head. “Are we sure they’ve found us?”  
Fun Ghoul shook his head again, but then asked, “Are there any other buildings in the area that Killjoys may have been hiding in?” Em realized what he meant, and her response was to inform him that they were the only inhabited building in the vicinity, and only one still intact. Killjoys did not spend a lot of time in that zone, except for brief times as they passed through, on their way to or from Battery City.  
“They’re after us. Somehow, they’ve discovered us.” Em concluded.  
“Well in any case, we have to get out. The guys are already awake, and headed toward the car.”  
“Your car?”  
“Yeah...?”  
“You can’t take yours. The engine was stripped of all the useful parts. Adrenaline D towed it back here...but we haven’t fixed it yet. It won’t run.”  
“Then what do you propose we do?”  
“My car. It’s older than yours, but runs beautifully. And it’s fast.”  
“Okay...Which car is that?”  
“The Karmann. Obviously.” She said as she strapped her holster to her thigh. Checking her raygun, she slipped it into the holster, then grabbed her knife and attached it to her belt, for hand to hand combat. Hey, it was always possible.  
Suddenly, she was very aware of Fun Ghoul watching her, as she pulled on her leather jacket. “What?” she asked.  
“Nothing. I just...tuned out for a second.” She could tell by the tone of his voice that wasn’t the case, but she didn’t have time to pursue it further. “Go get them into my car.” She told him, tossing him the keys. “And if Doctor D isn’t up, please wake him.”  
“Gotcha.” Fun Ghoul said, before running out of her room.  
Now came the mad scramble to beat BLI. For her, this wasn’t a first.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, for best reading experience, you can listen to my playlist for the story on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/129191723/playlist/3y2Kjimv64f3WcxtS4HIvp  
> All chapter titles will be the title of a song by My Chemical Romance, from Mad Gear and the Missile Kid back (No CW songs will be used for titles in this story.)


End file.
